Carburetor fuel line problems

The carburetor is a Holley 3310, 750 cfm with manual choke.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HLY-65-3310/?rtype=10

This is the fuel line I was using.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HLY-34-160/

I had a hard time getting it to thread into the fittings for the fuel
bowels. Had to start each fitting at the exact same time for it to
thread in. But today when trying to start the motor the fittings for the
fuel line kept leaking. I tightened them up a few times more, but no
luck. I ended up taking the carb off the motor and the fuel line off the
carb. I don't see any damaged threads but the fuel line is bent now.
(That was yesterday)

Today I took the whole carb off the motor and put it on the work bench.
Removed the chrome fuel line from the carburetor. Then i removed the
fittings from the dual bowls. I looked at the threads on everything and
the surfaces of the flares and everything looked ok to me. Then I
loosely threaded the fittings for the fuel bowls onto the chrome fuel
line and then threaded the fittings back into the carb. Then tightened
the fuel bowl fittings up and then the flare nuts. Then I put the
carburetor back on the truck and tried to start it again. The front
fitting on the fuel line was dripping pretty good so I tightened both
fittings up on that side. Still continued to leak at that fitting so I
then took everything back apart and thats when I found that the threads
in the fuel bowl are stripped.

Im getting a new fuel bowl, some fittings that are 3/8 inverted flare on
one end, and a barb for 3/8 hose on the other. Then a barbed T fitting
and making my own flexible feed line. This set up will not look as cool,
but it will be easier to remove one of the fuel bowls in the future if I
have to.

Am I just a idiot or whats going on here?

did you use teflon tape? you did not state that you did. over tightening...more than likely stripped the threads

I did not use teflon tape. It says in the instructions not to use it.

I believe you! I just all ways used the tape.

Tim I hate the chrome line because most of the time they leak until you do some mods to them and there goes the pretty look.I have taken them off to rebuild the carb and had them to leak when reinstalled on the same carb.Don't know if it is from the gaskets might be thicker or thinner than came off or what but I like making my own.I used AN fitting on mine this last time with 3/8 gas line like you said not the prettyest but it get the gas in the carb with no leaks.

Jim

I tried one of those chrome ones before. ended up cutting in it half and putting a piece of hose in it and it worked fine. The fittings don't need to be very tight to seal IF there is not a bind on the hard line going in to the fuel bowl. I like to mount the regulator and just run two lines straight from it to the carb.

In the following pictures the black pushlock line goes to my magnafuel regulator mounted on the front frame away from heat. the holley reg is nitrous.

OldRedFord wrote:I did not use teflon tape. It says in the instructions not to use it.

Well you DO need it. It said DO NOT USE TEFLON TAPE in the instructions for an electric fuel pump we bought. We kept tightening and tightening it because it would leak and we couldn't get it to stop. I told my dad, Ok lets take 'em off and put teflon on them and see if it leaks then. We never had any problems again after putting the tape on it. Its assanine that they specificly tell you not to use something that you in fact DO need. That's like saying DO NOT USED BREAK IN OIL SUPPLIED WITH CAMSHAFT. So use teflon tape and you should be good.

Be careful if you use teflon on fittings going into aluminum. The teflon will make it easy to over torque and crack the aluminum housings. I have seen this happen several times on mechanical fuel pumps and filter housings.
Sometimes they can be repaired by tig welding and re tapping. Sometimes not.

mike

I have never used teflon on my fittings. Fuel fittings are flared so there should be no need for thread sealer when the seal comes from the flare contact surface. Not saying you guys are wrong but that was just my understanding and general opinion.

whatbumper wrote:I have never used teflon on my fittings. Fuel fittings are flared so there should be no need for thread sealer when the seal comes from the flare contact surface. Not saying you guys are wrong but that was just my understanding and general opinion.

Exactly right, that's the whole purpose of the inverted flare fitting.......no tape needed.

I used one of the Summit chrome fuel lines with the guage in it. It was adjustable for a vac secondary or a double pumper. I left the nut loose in the middle and tightened up the flare nuts on the bowls then sinched down the the middle one. I didn't use any teflon either.

I had an old Holley fuel line I couldn't get to stop leaking. I ended up getting a neoprene O ring that fit up in the flare fitting. Not the best but it worked.

Bill

Nevs wrote:

whatbumper wrote:I have never used teflon on my fittings. Fuel fittings are flared so there should be no need for thread sealer when the seal comes from the flare contact surface. Not saying you guys are wrong but that was just my understanding and general opinion.

Exactly right, that's the whole purpose of the inverted flare fitting.......no tape needed.

And to add to that, do you see anyone using teflon on brake line fittings?

OldRedFord wrote:And to add to that, do you see anyone using teflon on brake line fittings?

Nope.

There is NO teflon tape needed on flared fittings, if there's a leak it will just come out between the tube and the B-nut, but yeah the threads will be dry

OldRedFord, do you have the thin metal gaskets between the bowls and the adapter fittings? Just a thought, as I've seen them missing before.

Tim let me check I might still have a set of used bowl in good shape

DFI429 wrote:

OldRedFord wrote:And to add to that, do you see anyone using teflon on brake line fittings?

Nope.

There is NO teflon tape needed on flared fittings, if there's a leak it will just come out between the tube and the B-nut, but yeah the threads will be dry

OldRedFord, do you have the thin metal gaskets between the bowls and the adapter fittings? Just a thought, as I've seen them missing before.

I got the carb new from Summit, it had plastic washers instead of the metal ones.

Post copied from elsewhere...

Ok here is a few pictures. I could not get the back fitting for the secondary fuel bowl off without taking the carb off. More then I felt like messing with at 8 pm.

First two pictures are of the stripped out hole in the primary fuel bowl.





Now for the fitting that goes there.







Now for the fittings and flares on the now bent fuel line.


Primary inlet.


Secondary

Are both of the filters that go behind the fitting in the fuel bowls supposed to have a spring with it? Only one does.



Im apprehensive about how to
fix this. It has been suggested to me to use some JB weld and thread the
fuel bowl fitting in there with the JB weld. (There are three good
threads left) I am concerned about the longevity of a repair like that. A
new fuel bowl is only about $45.....having it start leaking again while
I am driving it....a bit more expensive. I am also
apprehensive about taking it apart. I have heard that if the metering
block comes loose from the carb Ill have to do a rebuild. So I am having
mental images of small parts going flying.

I looked on Holley's
site but I can not find a exploded view parts
diagram for a Holley
3310. The one for the 4160/4150 does not show the
fuel bowls that
came on mine.

Tim You should not have to build it you should be ok takeing the bowl off if it hasn't been very long rebuilt and if it has the blue gaskits you should be fine if the metering block comes off. Tim I thought I had a set of bowls left but I forgot I let my brother have them.I would buy a new bowl for it you said it was a new carb jb weld is good but I don't think I would put it on a new carb.Tim if the metering block does come off don't worry if small peaces of stuff go flying you have bigger problem than just a stripped hole( there or no small things going to fall out they are not any in that part of the carb

OldRedFord wrote:

DFI429 wrote:

OldRedFord wrote:And to add to that, do you see anyone using teflon on brake line fittings?

Nope.

There is NO teflon tape needed on flared fittings, if there's a leak it will just come out between the tube and the B-nut, but yeah the threads will be dry

OldRedFord, do you have the thin metal gaskets between the bowls and the adapter fittings? Just a thought, as I've seen them missing before.

I got the carb new from Summit, it had plastic washers instead of the metal ones.

Post copied from elsewhere...

Ok here is a few pictures. I could not get the back fitting for the secondary fuel bowl off without taking the carb off. More then I felt like messing with at 8 pm.

First two pictures are of the stripped out hole in the primary fuel bowl.





Now for the fitting that goes there.







Now for the fittings and flares on the now bent fuel line.


Primary inlet.


Secondary

Are both of the filters that go behind the fitting in the fuel bowls supposed to have a spring with it? Only one does.



Im apprehensive about how to
fix this. It has been suggested to me to use some JB weld and thread the
fuel bowl fitting in there with the JB weld. (There are three good
threads left) I am concerned about the longevity of a repair like that. A
new fuel bowl is only about $45.....having it start leaking again while
I am driving it....a bit more expensive. I am also
apprehensive about taking it apart. I have heard that if the metering
block comes loose from the carb Ill have to do a rebuild. So I am having
mental images of small parts going flying.

I looked on Holley's
site but I can not find a exploded view parts
diagram for a Holley
3310. The one for the 4160/4150 does not show the
fuel bowls that
came on mine.

If the fitting in the third pic is the one leaking you can use tape or better yet get you some plumbers pipe dope and put on it where it screws into the fuel bowl then tighten it down and install fuel line. The dope will seal up the threads. Be sure its gasoline rated.

The few times I had started the motor, do you think I hurt anything? Has not had more then 15 seconds run time on it. Just have not been able to follow through with the break in procedure yet with the gas leak.

Tim you should be fine no longer than it ran not much more than turning it getting everything lined up.Just try to make sure everything is right and ready to run when you fire it again and you should be fine.

Jim

I ended up just buying a new fuel bowl. Kept my fingers crossed the metering block would not come off. It stayed on.

I got it back together without much incident. Yes I know the fuel bowl is polished, but there was a $15 price difference between a polished one and dichromate finish. Why, I dont know.

I also redid my fuel lines with rubber hose and a barbed T fitting.

Going to try to fire it up this afternoon.

Oh yea, the sight plug is glass and not plastic.

Looks good, now fire it up and go for a ride

OldRedFord wrote:I ended up just buying a new fuel bowl. Kept my fingers crossed the metering block would not come off. It stayed on.

I got it back together without much incident. Yes I know the fuel bowl is polished, but there was a $15 price difference between a polished one and dichromate finish. Why, I dont know.

I also redid my fuel lines with rubber hose and a barbed T fitting.

Going to try to fire it up this afternoon.

Oh yea, the sight plug is glass and not plastic.

I'm at a loss as to your concern over the metering blocks coming off? It's no big deal, just one more gasket to replace. It's not like something is going to fall out of the carb. Please elaborate, I'm puzzled.

Ok I am pretty ticked off now. It is still leaking. I am about to just
sell my dang truck and give up. I want this thing running leak free this
weekend. Im tired of just running the motor short spurts. I probably
have to tear the dang thing down now and relube the cam and lifters.

The
fittings are leaking between the seats of the flare. I dont see any
dirt or burs but I am at a loss now.

I just used the ends of
some steel fuel line into each of the fittings that go into the fuel
bowls. I put teflon tape on the fitting that screwed into the fuel bowl.
Not on the flare side. Threads all look good and are undamaged.

Im
seriously considering going down to Summit yet again and buying
thsese...

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MRG-1543/

I
wish they had more of a barb on the hose side tho.

This is so
freaking annoying. Its not like I am mechanically inept or something.

Maybe you should take the carburetor to summit along with all the other stuff and explain everything. then tell them that they need to help you out because you keep having problems with it and how you've been trying to get this thing going for a while then you cant because of this and only this. Tell them how you really need them to fix the problem and maybe they will swap the parts out with new ones and give you a carb with matching fuel bowls. This is bull, and I would be pissed if I had to go through all of this crap. You may just have a POS fuel line, but they should still fix the fact that your fuel bowls are completely different looking one's.

The fuel bowl is a different color because it was cheaper. The fuel bowls are not my problem. The flare fittings are.